Veggie Power Blend Arepas with Pork Carnitas & Fiery Aji Amarillo Sauce

Ingredients

Arepa

• 2 cups Arepa flour
• 2 teaspoons salt, kosher
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Aji Amarillo Dressing

• 1 cup mango purée
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons aji amarillo paste (see note below)
• 2 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• Salt to taste

Veggie Power Blend Salad

• 1 medium jicama, peeled and sliced into 2-inch-long matchsticks
• 2 cups power blend
• ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
• ⅔ cup Aji Amarillo lime-agave dressing
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup pork rinds (chicharrón), crumpled
• ½ cup salted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon green onion, small circles

Pork Carnitas

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt, or more, to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 pounds pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 oranges, juiced
• 2 limes, juiced

The Method

For Arepas:

Combine arepa flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add 2 ½ cups warm water. Using a wooden spoon, gradually incorporate dry ingredients, stirring until no dry lumps remain. Let rest 5 minutes to hydrate.

Knead dough a few times in bowl, then divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece on work surface into a ball, then gently flatten to about ½-inch thick and about 4-inches diameter.

Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 arepas “patties” made into circles, cover, and cook until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Uncover, flip, and cook (keep uncovered) until other side is golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer arepas to a wire rack and let cool slightly.

Repeat with remaining oil and dough as needed.

Split arepas with sharp serrated knife and stuff with fillings; serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Notes: Arepa flour is precooked corn flour, not to be confused with masa harina. Sometimes sold as masarepa or harina precocida, it can be found in Latin markets and some supermarkets. Harnia P.A.N. used for this recipe

For Dressing:

Whisk the Aji Amarillo Puree, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and several generous grinds of black pepper in a mixing bowl.

Note: For Aji Amarillo Paste, we used Doña Isabel brand, however, there are plenty other brands to choose from on Amazon.

For Power Blend Salad:

Put all of the Veggie Power Blend in a mixing bowl then add the jicama, and onion and toss it all together. Salt to taste.

Pour the dressing over the Power Blend and toss gently to combine.

If you’re not serving it right away, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

Right before serving, sprinkle the slaw with the crumbled pork rinds and peanuts, toss just to combine, garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions, checking the salt once more and serve.

For Carnitas:

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Season pork loin with spice mixture, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides.

Place garlic, onions, orange juice, lime juice and seasoned pork shoulder into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Remove pork shoulder from the slow cooker and shred the meat before returning to the pot with the juices; season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to broil. Place carnitas onto a baking sheet and broil until slightly crisp and crusted, about 3-4 minutes.

To Serve:

Add a few ounces of pulled pork into the split arepa, 1-2 ounces of the Veggie Power Blend slaw and 1 teaspoon crumbled cotija cheese.

Repeat until all arepas have been filled Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 209g l Servings: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 430 | Total Fat 24g (sat fat 4.5g trans 0g) l Cholesterol 55mg l Sodium 1370mg l Total Carbohydrate 22g | Dietary Fiber 5g l Sugars 12g l Protein 30g l Vitamin D 0% l Calcium 4% l Iron 10% | Potassium 8%